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Date and Time

Location

Refund Policy

No Refunds

Event description

Description

BIG4 - Swim fast, swim slow, swim with a hat on your head, have fun!

Buckfastleigh Ice Gala is upon us again. Saturday February 2nd 2019.

Since we started in 2016 we've been a little haven of ice swimming for those of you who love cold water, or just want to challenge yourselves. We invite you to join us and celebrate with 80 odd people from the community of outdoor swimmers in the South West.

We have four races - freestyle, head up breaststroke, individual medley and relays. We also have a prize for the Best Dressed - hats, costumes or whatever funky attire takes your fancy.

This year the money raised will go towards the cost of a new boiler, ensuring that our pool is able to serve summer and winter swimming for years to come. But we also invite you to raise money for your own causes; as ice swimming is challenging. In 2016, three relay teams from Newton Abbot College raised money for their school trip to Borneo, for example.

Note – the race rules require you to wear no more than a swimming costume, goggles and hat. Wetsuits, rash vests, thermal tops, bottoms etc are not allowed. But there are exceptions for wacky costumes and hats!

More information

The gala will be at Buckfastleigh Pool. Just off the A38 in south Devon. Parking is adjacent.

There will be hot drinks, tasty Clive's pies, tuck shop snacks and cakes, lots of cakes.

We have hot showers, shelter and a warm tent to help you warm up afterwards.

Once you've entered we will keep you up to date on the Buckfastleigh Open Air Pool - Victoria Park page on Facebook. And we'll email you (bcc'd) about the fine details nearer the time.

If you'd like more info in the meantime please email Bfl.pool@yahoo.co.uk.co.uk

ENTRY SALES CLOSE ON 26th January 2019.

Registration will be open from 1000 to 1100 on the day, please arrive in plenty of time for your swim - a schedule of races, start times and information regarding the start procedure will be published nearer the time on the FB event page.

FAQs

Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?

Swimmers must be over 14 years of age, there is no upper age limit.

Do I need to be fit to do this event?

You do not need to be very athletically fit, but you must be able to confidently swim the distance you are entering. If you have any underlying medical condition including, but not limited to, heart condition, blood pressure condition, respiratory condition or are pregnant you should seek medical advice before taking up cold water swimming. You should not swim if you have a fever or chest infection on the day.

There are risks associated with cold water swimming; these include increased risk of cramp, initial hyperventilation, weakness in the limbs and reduced coordination. These risks are, however, reduced if you do some training (see below) prior to the event to ensure that you are acclimatised to cold water. Any risks will also be reduced by respecting the judgement of our lifeguards, and acting on their requests without question.

Do I need to have cold water swimming experience?

Yes. You must do some training to make sure that you are used to getting into cold water and know what it feels like to swim in cold water. If you are new to the sport it is not too late to start that process, but please don't leave it too late. Buckfastleigh pool is running cold water swimming every Sunday 9.30-10.30am to the end of January and this could help you acclimatise to the cold water.

What safety cover is there?

We will have on site medical support from Devon Essential Medical Services (Devon EMS). The event will also be fully life-guarded and our life-guards have received cold water specific training. Our lifeguards will not hesitate to ask a swimmer to leave the water if they are concerned. In entering this event you agree to respect their judgment and comply with their requests without question. There is also medical support on-site, and we will have a warm room available to re-warm anybody that we believe needs it. Again, swimmers should respect the organisers' judgement regarding re-warming as people who are very cold can experience impaired judgement.

Will I get a prize?

Yes, if you place 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the individual finals. There is a final for men and women for each individual race; and we will give a prize for the best team or individual costume.

What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?

Buckfastleigh Pool is adjacent to a large car park, just off the A38. There are also bus links from Totnes, Newton Abbot, Plymouth and Exeter.

What can/can't I bring to the event?

You may bring your own food and drink, but hot food and drink, snacks and cakes will be available to buy on site. Please DON'T bring any glass or ceramics on site. You can also bring camping chairs if you prefer that to sitting on the terraces. There is plenty of room to spread out and enjoy yourself. If it is raining you may wish to bring an umbrella as we have limited undercover space.

No. We do not allow transfer of tickets because that helps to ensure that all swimmers know exactly what they are committing to. Relay team captains will need to notify the name of the team AND the names of their team members to carl.alan.reynolds@gmail.com by Sunday 27th January 2019.

Can I update my registration information?

If there are significant changes you can email Bfl.pool@yahoo.co.uk, but it is likely that we will be able to deal with most issues on the day.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Yes please, this will help to make registration run smoothly.

What is the refund policy?

We regret that refunds cannot be given under any circumstances should you be unable to swim on the day. However, if the event is cancelled in its entirety we will refund your entry fees less the payment handling fee.

The name on the registration/ticket doesn't match the attendee. Is that okay?

No. We want to know that all swimmers know what they have committed to, and for that reason we ask people to register themselves and not others. If there is a particular reason why you want to register somebody else please email Bfl.pool@yahoo.co.uk. The only exception to this is the team event where the captain registers the team and then provides the details of their teammates and team name.